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Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references (p. 385-399) and index.

Publisher's Summary

An A-Z reference that identifies, defines, and explains all the terms, events, ideas, people, and institutions related to the murky world of the "almost sciences". It examines how fringe and marginal sciences have affected people throughout history, as well as how they continue to exert an influence on our social and intellectual lives today. It includes hoaxes thought by many to be truths, including the Amityville Horror, and cultish and faddish interests that are now part of our popular culture, such as fortune telling, horoscopes, and superstitions. It also covers common practices now moving forward into orthodox science, such as acupuncture, and fringe sciences that fell into disrepute, including phrenology and racial theories. (source: Nielsen Book Data)